Uptime Institute Global Data Center Staffing Forecast 2021-2025 - press release

Overview

This record is based on the press release in which Uptime Institute announced the industry's first global data center staffing forecast report. The release presents the report as an estimate of demand for specialist roles by region and by data center type. The page date reads January 26, 2020, but the content refers to 2021 material, so the release most likely dates from January 2021.

As for method, the forecast covers more than 230 specialist roles spread across nine job domains. That detail shows the estimate is a role-based taxonomy and not just an overall headcount. Treating engineering, operations, controls and monitoring skills separately makes it possible to plan the workforce by design, build and operate phases. This role-based approach also gives a concrete basis for discussing which skills hiring and training plans should prioritise.

The headline number in the release is that staff requirements grow from about 2 million full-time equivalents (FTE) in 2019 to nearly 2.3 million by 2025. Most of the demand is expected in Asia-Pacific, followed by North America. The findings say the cloud data center workforce will surpass the enterprise workforce after 2025. The release also notes that a wave of retirements will add demand for senior roles in the US and Western Europe.

On skills, the release stresses that mechanical and electrical engineers in strategy and operations roles, and controls and monitoring staff, will be increasingly needed through at least 2025. As a limitation, because this is a press release, the methodology details, assumptions and numerical regional breakdown are not given. The source offers a useful framework for understanding workforce bottlenecks, but precise planning requires the report itself.

Key points

1. Staff requirements are forecast to grow from about 2 million FTE in 2019 to nearly 2.3 million by 2025.
2. The forecast covers more than 230 specialist roles in nine job domains.
3. Most demand is expected in Asia-Pacific, followed by North America.
4. The cloud data center workforce is expected to surpass the enterprise workforce after 2025.
5. Mechanical and electrical engineers in strategy and operations roles, and controls and monitoring staff, will be increasingly needed through at least 2025.
6. A retirement wave (the 'silver tsunami') will add demand for senior roles in the US and Western Europe.
7. The page is dated January 26, 2020 but refers to 2021 material; the release is most likely from January 2021.

Using it in design

• Use a design, build and operate role taxonomy in an operations staffing calculator.
• Flag skill scarcity as a warning for complex topologies.
• Include controls and monitoring competencies in operating cost and commissioning plans.

Who should read it

Data center operations managers, workforce planners and engineers who want to bring an operability perspective to the design team.

Publication details

Authors

Uptime Institute

Publisher

Uptime Institute

Year

2021

Document language

English

Source type

Industry body

Access

Free to read

Licence

Copyright retained; citation only — the publisher’s terms apply to the original document

Citation